The Frozen Wasteland-REWRITTEN
by Alone in the blight
Summary: Everything changes... for better or worse that is. How,Why And when are easily for gotten as years flew by. The new became old and the old withered away. Everything but war...REWRITTEN do please give it a try!
1. Chapter 1

_Everything changes... for better or worse that is. How, Why and when are easily for gotten as years flew by. The new became old and the old withered away... or did it?_

_Everything changes..._

_But war._

_Year 2566, Alaska._

Johnny Cigar's leg started to tremble again in the midst of practicality nowhere cursing his stupidity for throwing all his caps in caravan made of frightened pussies, no wonder they got sacked by a bunch of... well, incinerated ghouls.

But he managed to escape only from the burning ghoulish jaw onto the freezing wind. At this rate he would die in a matter of minutes.

In a moment of truth, Johnny made up with himself; he knew that karma would get him eventually after all of years back when he was a raider across new Vegas ruins. He thought he would start a new life in the city of Ash Clouds... fate disagreed it seemed...

He pulled out his pack of Cuban Cigars (hence the name) and smoked a lengthy one before freezing to death. In his last breath, he threw his lighter into a hole in the earth not knowing how his actions would change these icy lands for years to come.

Down and down the lighter went shining embers of light at the five hundred year old pipe it has been through till it fell in a damp room inside a bunker or perhaps one of them vaults. Nothing was certain but it sure set a chain of reactions by setting the spilled oil ablaze. A great fire started in this silent room initializing another old pre-war mechanism. Sprinkles of water extinguished the newly flames.

Then something... extraordinary happened.

The emergency supply source suddenly sprang to life, in a matter of moments, most of this underground establishment was lively as it was five hundred years ago

. . .

_bssss_

_bssss_

_Re-Rebooting_

_Initializing emergency protocol, all personnel must evacuate the base immediately._

_Fail-bsss failure to comply executing protocol Alpha Zeke twelve._

_Inactivating the neuro-inhibitors._

_Self-destruction in... Five minutes_

In what seemed to be a large room with many cells, the newly awaken artificial intelligence seeped a miasma of greenish cloud. In those cells, many men and women remained there dormant as if they were some sort of turned off machines. When their unconscious body inhaled the gas all started to tremble and shake violently for a couple of moments but shortly they returned to their slumber...perhaps their eternal one.

All but the one in cell nineteen.

She had her share of tremors for sure but unlike others, she opened her scarlet eyes drowning in a world of confusion and unfamiliarity. She didn't know a clue about her whereabouts, what or why she was doing here. The alerting sound of alarm and all the red lights damped her even more in a state of panic.

_Self-destruction in .. Three minutes._

'I need to get out of here!' she thought while trying to break the force barrier of her cell... in vain that was of course. Just then, in the midst of the chaos, a one armed robo-brain slowly dragged itself to her cell sending a zap on the barrier disintegrating it immediately.

_Self-destruction in... Two minutes._

"_This is a recorded message" _the robot declared, its voice shifted to a man's voice of his sixties "_thank god! Listen, this is doctor Markov Anton an assistant is NECH-II project, if you are hearing this then someone has override the system or freed your kind. Nevertheless, you must escape this place before the countdown...don't worry about the guards, in a matter of minutes all will die in this facility except you and the other subjects. You will find the master key card on my corpse, please seek doctor Tsu in the frozen wasteland... he is the only one capable of helping your kind Pray be quick and may god forgive us from our sins... __**there he is! kill him!**__ * tentenenten* call for evac now *cough* e- *cough*..."_

_Self-destruction in sixty seconds._

As if the scene materialized in her head when she saw four corpses, one in a lab coat while the others are of military. She snatched the key and made a run for it, she was lucky enough to notice the instruction sign written on the wall. Left and right she turns in these cold hallways and corridors. The place was already crumbling above her.

_In five..._

_In four..._

_In three..._

_In two..._

_'_I see the exi-"

_. . ._

_Yagtaal said goodbye to his mother and sister. Even in this blasted cold, his mother's tears flowed like river; probably the last time they will see her son. The _rite of passage of mating in Greenfoot tribe was perhaps one of the hardest amongst the main three tribes in Alaska... to kill a Radeel.

He recalled the elder's warning about such creature:

big, slimy and slendy monster lives in sea by day and terrors the land by night. Thunder and its deadly jaws combined with such agility make it a worthy foe. His mognat blade and sling binded by old world's magic were his means of slaying such beast.

He burrowed himself in the green ice feeling the burning sensation right away but his people got used to it and so as he. There, he awaited the great beast to come from the depth for a couple of hours in silence. He eyes started to dull but his instinct jolted him back to reality when a Radeel surfaced...it was far worse than his expectation...

A mother that is. Thrice the size of a normal Radeel, there were no chance for a man of twenty one moon to out best it and if he returned without it's tongue, the rest of the tribe would surely crucify him. He had no other choice...

Quickly he got up taking an advantage of surprise and the beast's poor eyesight then he primed his sling at the mother. The U shaped projectile buried itself inside the right thunder gland of the mother sending it in a trip of pain and agony. It sent blue thunder around itself in an attempt to expose it's attacker, Yagtaal jumped back form harm's way, he threw another mognat sling but if missed its target entirely. The great beast located its next prey with blood-lust in its eyes. Her arrays of teeth were met by a sharp thrust in the lower jaw by his trusty blade. Yagtaal was thrown feet away from the Radeel; he was armless and helpless now. He froze in fear as the beast closed the distance for the final gnaw...then it happened.

A mighty explosion blasted it to pieces sending chunks of slimy blue meat all over the frozen grounds. Ironically enough, the beast's bulky head protected the young Greenfoot from meeting the same fate. His senses were out of place for mere seconds before retaining full awareness of the current situation.

"_**Bi slok aal**__ blight mother!" he exclaimed feeling this aura of his goddess s_urrounding him. After some search, he found the enormous blue tongue amongst the meshes almost intact. Before his departure, he heard a weak whimper "Hel-helpp.."

His mind commanded him to leave at once for the flaming demons will shortly haunt the place after hearing the explosion and yet his heart chained him to the ground. He threw his carriage and onto the green ice he searched here and there for the source, it wasn't long till he found the one. She wasn't from his tribe nor the other tribes... more like those beyond the cloud. His people warned him from them. They only seek war and death and won't hesitate a bit to end the tribe's life and yet he saw weakness in her eyes not tyranny and wrath.

"Me help, you Ne move. Undorstant you?" his days as a slave in the people of the sun taught him some of their words. She barely nodded before fainting. He of course expected that as most of her people can't survive in the green ice without their white garments. Quickly he went over the carcass of the Radeel and grabbed some of its slimy meat, then he rubbed it all over the woman's body, the greenish faint in her skin started to fade away but it was not over yet; if the old world's green ice won't get her the freezing wind would.

Again he went over his foe's body cutting straps of its thick skin before wrapping it around her body. In the horizon, he saw dots of flames veiled by the harsh wind and so he left the place with the unconscious woman on his shoulder.

. . .

"..."

"Can you hear me?"

"..."

"...i, I think so.." the scarlet woman opened her eyes, it was – unlike last time – warm and somehow reassuring to be inside a tent decorated by colourful paintings instead of the cold grey walls of before. Two they were staring at her: one of younger age, he wore a face warp made of animal skin only showing his fainted green joyful eyes. The other whoever was grimier and older wearing an armor of sort probably made of animal... a dangerous one.

"Yagtaal explained the situation to me when he brought you from the sacred hunting ground. He may have saved you but I may be the end of you...who are you?" he showed his one-of-a-kind gauntlet brimming electricity from his finger tips. The young adult or Yagtaal interfered "_**Mosh am tuuol! Iz nyan possib Kol halam. Jene, jene blight mother?"**_

The elder sighed "i supposed you are right, the blight mother won't let a stranger live in her land stark naked without dying." he remained silent for some time assessing the situation "so far, you done nothing to us. Yagtaal tells me that you saved him from a fully grown Radeel mother... a plague in our lands."

"i just don't know what happened...i don't remember anything...not even my name." she sadly admitted getting a strange gaze from the elder one. He started a small side conversation with Yagtaal. He ended the conversation by dismissing the young adult then he turned to her "Your words speaks of truth, I can see it in your eyes. Like a blind child you are stumbling across worlds of darkness and despair... soon enough the child will grow into a fearless Beast bidding the blight mother's will."

"i..don't-" her confusion was met by a brief explanation "a part of our mother's prophecy. I don't believe in these words as much as I should do but that is another story. I will have Yagtaal escort you to your lands, stranger. Here, drink this for you to breathe our air easily, there are some clothes for you at the bench. I will be waiting outside."

The chief left before she could part her lips. She wanted to express her gratefulness towards him... perhaps another time.

There were some remnants of throbbing pain but she felt fine mostly. She got up from the bed to wear the above mentioned clothes, they were thin and dull in colour but at the same time surprisingly warm. She wasted a minute or so looking at herself from the mirror:

Not slim, not chubby but something in between, her eyes and fuzzy short hair are of the same scarlet red colour while her skin was pale as snow. She could describe herself as beautiful...oddly beautiful as if she was trimmed from the angels themselves; nothing too long, nothing too short...all was... perfect. Slightly panicked, she undressed to see the rest of her body. The same she saw above was below. Her body was like an untouched doll except two parts:

A triangular scar down her spine and a tattoo along the side of her neck saying "Marr 19"

Again she dressed, feeling uncomfortable from her recent discoveries. What did Doctor Markov did to her so badly that he performed such act? Who is this doctor Tsu? All of these questions left unanswered. At this moment, Yagtaal entered the tent "You ready, mizz...?"

"Marr, yes, my name is Marr...Thank you Yagtaal, just give me a minute."

"Uuk." he replied. Marr almost forgot the cold drink left on the bench, she took it in one go and boy the pain she felt down her throat like a spiked ball rolling down there after drinking it in one go. Eventually she eluded the soreness of her throat.

. . .

The scene in-front of her eyes was a bit priceless; to see children running and playing around the tents and the normal peaceful tribal life in general. The chief was giving a speech to some men and women pointing at her occasionally. His audience looked at her with awe in their eyes. Marr blushed in return from the belt of eyes around her. After ten minutes or so the chief finished his speech and headed to her with a large bag "Food, water and some weapons for your journey."

"Thank you, chief.. How can I repay you generosity?"

"I-"

"**Ma chief! Dostruim kar fiel!" **

. . .

**A/N: that's it for now, I truly appreciate reviews! In regards to the vagueness of this chapter, all shall be revealed in the next one so stay tuned!**

**Love :3 **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: … using the 'Silus' treatment eh? Well then, I will have to do something about that :l**

**. . .**

Peace and harmony morphed into utter chaos when the flaming ghouls bashed the gate with all of their might. Women and children ran to the safety of some fortified like burrows but some were out of luck as the numerous ghouls gnawed some necks here and there. The men on the other hand were doing their best to hold the weak spots against the savaged horde with blades and gauntlet in the front and slings from the back.

"SAFETY YOU GO!" yelled Yagtaal at Marr who was momentary paralyzed from the carnage around her. If it weren't for his trusty blade, the ghoul would have sunken his teeth in her soft neck.

And so she ran for her life turning her head a couple of times lest a ghoul would be stalking her. The women inside the burrow were in fact to afraid to open the door for her. "LET ME IN!" she screeched but they would forfeit her life in exchange of theirs it seemed.

At this very moment, the weight of the bag on her back manifested itself inside her trouble mind. The scarlet woman opened it and found a nine millimeter pistol with five clips around it. She felt... like the weapon is part of her somehow when she wielded it. Her senses turned from a cowardly rabbit to a stalking lioness after wards, she shot two of the three ghouls who were running towards her right in the chest. The third one was back stabbed from behind by a young tribesmen who smiled briefly and continued onwards.

Although the weapon was meant for short to medium range, her accuracy in the midst of the battle was quite decent. The slingers topping tents and other high spots gazed at the braze woman carefully fending the men below from furthers assaults.

"_**Enough! None shall harm my children further!" **_a voice of wrath boomed behind Marr's ear. In a tick, she saw a woman of green in regards to her skin, hair, eye.. Just about anything in fact. Her hands glowed even more and more. The green flash of light was the last thing Marr could recall before slumbering to darkness.

. . .

Marr awoke with numbness in her limbs just inches away from complete loss of sensation. She was in a tent but not like the one from before...this one differed by the vast space and the dinner table filled with local foods and such. The decoration also varied greatly; instead of cultural painting there were glowing green engraves representing constellations and stars. But most importantly, the woman of green on the head of the table.

"You are the 'blight mother'?" Marr inquired in most respectable way possible.

"_**T**__**hat I am, child. Welcome to my humble family. I wasn't aware of your presence when I set my blight in the eyes of my enemy. Apologizes if any harm happened to you..."**_

"It's fine really, so the ghouls are gone?"

"_**My blight has extinguished their light. It had to be done..." **_the blight mother showed a brief sympathy to her fallen foes _**"they walked the earth as men and women just like you but they were reborn in the great flame. When the bombs of the old fell, the icy stretches of Alaska embraced two unexplained: one, the Ash cloud city...a city made of frozen nuclear mushroom, the city of your people. The great flame is the pilgrimage of all demons across this land; they wander for thousands of miles to reach the un-quenched flames like a moth. Then they became the flaming demons or the 'incinerated' in your people's tongue... you must be famished! Eat with my blessing, child."**_

Marr inwardly questioned the woman's sanity. Still, the blight mother had done no harm to her so far. She wolfed whatever was in her reach rapidly till she had to water the chunk of food down.

"Do you know anything about something called project NECH?"

"_**I know a lot of things..." **_she slowly replied _**" but those of the old world and your people are out of my zone of knowledge. Why you ask?" **_Marr told her all about what happened from the moment she woke up till now. Slowly glimpses of memories passed by in her mind like the pre-war era and how things were like back then.

"_**Amazing tale, child. Sometimes, I question my divinity; I remember eyes... lots of eyes watching me grew in a small Grey and cold space. The pain I felt back then was beyond your mind. Some time a hundred sun back, I was free...with my vile brother and sister. The one thing we have in common is our divine powers- mine is supreme of course. Zeil my brother took the Blackwind west of here tribe by force slaughtering anyone who would defy him while Eve my slithering sister lead the Yearwalk tribe to the seclusion of the Boreal forest to the east near Kasilof river."**_

The conversation became more enticing afterwards with Marr asking more and more questions about this land and its people. It must have been hours since the duo started chatting. The chief politely asked for permission to enter _**"Yes, Walks-marshes, how can the mother aid you?"**_

"My mistress, though the stranger showed some degree of valor in repelling the flaming demons m-your people are troubled by her presence. It is the first time we had an outsider since-"

"_**I already knew that!" **_she stormed of her throne unexpectedly _**"No one question my actions, NO ONE!" **_the chief's grim face was remained same as always but not in a way to disrespect his goddess. "Forgive me mistress, the outsider has been here for two nights... we cannot exclude the fact that Yearwalk spies are waiting for us to break any of the Bloodpeak pact!" his tone was slightly higher than before. According to the blight mother, it was some sort of a truce between the three tribe a few months ago with list of rules and regulations.

"_**i am aware of that! I...i...**__" _the woman's green glow started to fade slowly as she coughed slimy green substance. The chief quickly bolted out the tent calling for the medicine men.

Shortly, two men and an old woman arrived to the scene. The elder started to enchant some words of her tongue while the two young men were mixing some strange sparky powders with what seem to be a small heart. The blight mother gulped the tiny heart in one go and soon the coughing stopped and her glow was shiny as ever.

"_**Let me be now, child... rest tonight and tomorrow you will depart from my home."**_

_**. . .**_

Marr left the tent afterward to her tent, her head felt dizzy from the extensive radiation around her. Before she could ask around for help, Yagtaal came with a bowel filled of the same bitter drink of before "Drink, you fel bettor."

"Thanks" she gladly accepted his offer drinking it in one go unlike last time. The soreness manifested again but her head was clear now. "So, tell me about yourself?" her way of starting a friendly chat was effective as if the man was waiting for such moment.

"Me name is Yagtaal, a scout and a hunter for my tribe. Back when I young, the blight mother was siick very often. The people of the sun tok this chance and raded my hume... they tok me among other az Skals or slaves. Three suns lator, I maniged to escape back to my village. The people can no more invade the greenice fields no moore becouse blight mother gave blessing to this lands but in my suns as a Skal I saw people wering yellow and white skins being abole to crozz our land.. You be first to cross without thes skins."

"Oh, I am sorry about that..." she would inquire about the 'people of the sun' later. Again, she was possessed by curiosity "Why are you hiding your face?"

"NO! No sees my face!" he backed away. It wasn't a surprise when he left the tent with mumbling and cursing. Marr opened her lips to apologize but words wouldn't just come out. Eventually, she surrendered to the urge of sleeping. Tomorrow would be a big day after all.

. . .

**Shedding some light over here, I hope you liked it and if you have an idea of an interesting NPC/ faction/ places etc feel free to suggest them!**

**Just a little note, this fic is based on three may be four characters so yeah!**

**Kudos :3 **


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: **_been in safe mode for sooo long, all seem to be puny now :C, oh well, I want to thanks those who read my first two chapters…

. . .

The lucky old sun sent its rays of warmth at the irradiated frozen wastelands of Alaska barely keeping its inhabitants alive. Marr woke up with tension in her lungs but she managed to some extent. Dawn awaited her the moment she exited the tent, she felt…she felt like there is some hope in her dilemma. The tribal folks were already awaken, most of them at least.

But just when things started to feel all nice and cozy, a woman with angry complexions stood before her. Unlike other women, she had green glowing body painting all over her body... Merely circle and dots but it must be of importance to her people. "What can I do for you?"

"**Mesi! Mesi! Yaoog frien Yagtaal! Tus anikish…Quelk!" **she shoved Marr into the green ice, Eyes began to hover around them.

"What gives, Asshole?" Marr had absolutely done nothing to the woman, she spat back with a shower of insults physical taunting. The tension raised to the point that the tribal drew a dagger brimming with blue sparks, she would have sunken with it in her pale neck if it weren't for Marr's counter; with a flattened palm punch , she thrust the dagger into the ice breaking the woman's wrist in the process. An agile backflip knocked Marr to the ice right afterwards.

"Zoot! STOP!" Yagtaal shouted, he had just arrived to the scene. The first thing he did was soothing the amok woman, she argued with him a bit but eventually she gave up. Before she snaked into the crowd, she glared at Marr and said "_**Astin Zinulog Yagtaal, Tus lo Quelaag faroom…"**_

_** . . .**_

After checking on supplies and whatnot, Marr and Yagtaal ventured out of the relatively safe village to the harsh unforgiving dead wilderness. "This be GreenIce fields my home, east be Kasilof river and Boreal forest home of the Yearwalk tribe…no safe land; Eve's sirens be killing you farr farr away. West be Blackwind canyon home of Blackwinds and Zeil, they kill, rabe and sell skals to the people of the sun, We go borth to jack's Marshes which be the enterance to Whitepass Valliy- you be free then." He remained silent afterwards for quite some time, every time Marr started to start a friendly chat he declined with more silence.

Three hours passed and Marr could only see green ice left and right. Occasionally, her chest tightened and so drinking the tribe's bitter drink was a must. Again they walked against the wind till her legs could hold her no more. "You stay here, me go clear that cave far you…"

"Nope, I am comin' with ya!"

"dangeras cave be… fine be on your gaurt." He sighed inwardly; with the blazing flames of determination in her eyes, it was impossible to change her opinion. He readied his mognat blade while Marr equipped her 9mm pistol. They slowly snaked through the cave till Yagtaal stopped "Giants Ba'ats up ahead, here..." he pointed upwards to the three unnaturally large white bats in their slumber "me take one, you take other from the other side. Third be killed by one fasing bat back…in de head remember to shoot." He whispered, Marr noded and sneaked to the opposite direction.

When given the signal, Marr fired a deadeye shot while Yagtaal threw a sharp sling right below the neck… wasn't intended but it did the job.

The third one awoke with the death of his friends, unexpectedly; he sent a shattering sonic wave at Marr knocking her to the solid wall behind her. In the next moments, Marr saw nothing but multiple images and immense blurring. The giant Ba'at sloped baring its hand-sized fangs **"MEIG TAL!"** Yagtaal leapt in the air and struck his sword right in the creature's back. He gave Marr enough time to stock it's skull with three bullets.

"Hoof, well that was close… we are a good team, you know." He drew a smile beneath his face warp "Yes… we be."

Later, they set a camp fire with heaps of Ba'at's meat which were surprisingly delicious … or at least Yagtaal is a damn good cook. They stock some just in case; one may never know what traps and ordeals await him or her. Sleep embraced the duo soon afterwards

. . .

The next day, the thick sheets of ice started to thin a little bit, Moss and Algae and lichen slowly began to replace it. Yagtaal was more opened than yesterday and joyful to some extent. "Sooo, who was this lady?"

"Mistrea, me future mate. I was trying yo kiil Radeel as a present to her. Mating is rare in me tribe…only be blessed by blight mother or no mating."

"Sound kinda harsh, don't you think?"

"Me must heard blight mother words…" he sadly replied but quickly erased such feeling "Mistrea is an aweke … a fool, she thought you be stealing me from her!"

"What?! Um no-of course not, silly her hehe" she did her best to hide her blush but her nervous laughter wasn't helping either. "She is quite a fighter." Marr's jaw still hurt from the previous encounter.

"Yes, she be…" Yagtaal trailed off. Marr hoped that curiosity won't be the end of the conversation like last time "What did she say to me again?"

"She be track you down and eat your harrt if me no return." Marr gulped when Yagtaal replied, she knew the woman was not joking "you be should carefol, Mistrea be one of the finest tracker and trapper in Alaska."

"Yeah, thanks for the info…." To be honest, Marr had quite a crush on him… better to leave it behind.

Silence accompanied them for quite a while till they spotted quite…. a bloody scene.

Dozens of small infested and blistered rodents were feasting on six may be seven corpses, Yagtaal quickly threw a yellow gas bomb of sort right below their feet, the small rodents scattered away in a tick. Marr kept coughing for minutes from such a pungent stench "*cough* what the hell is this?!"

"Ba'at vapored piss, only thing to keep me and you alive from Radents."

"Piss?! *cough* really?!"

"Ba'at eats Radents, Radents afraid from Ba'at, Radent no see only smell, Radent smell Ba'at…. We no risk take since Radent full of diseazes." It made sense… in a painful and stench way of course. Marr took a step towards the corpses, men and women laid almost fleshless before her eye. She emptied the Ba'at meat right away on the ground. "First lessan of survival: scavenge." He silently pointed to the unscathed large duffle bag "Righto."

Marr found a strange weapon, it was like a handgun but with two sharp fans on each side "Yagtaal, you know what the hell is this?"

"Hih roler I mean high roller... Yes, a weapon of your people here let me show you." He held it with one hand and yanked a small lever in the supposed area of the trigger; the two fans cut the silent air to stick in a solid rock with an insane speed "this be primary."

"Wait, there beeee secondary?" she was already amazed by the high roller "search for microfusioon cells in the bag and other two fans." Ordered Yagtaal, there were in fact plenty of those metal fans and 'microfusion' cell. She gave it to him right away, he attached the fans on the sides but this time, he put the ammo below the muzzle of the gun in a specific place. Instead of simple yanking the lever, he yanked it and did the opposite in a rapid succession; the fan began to spin rapidly in its place while having a gooish green material on its blades… just then, Yagtaal fired the blazing plasmic fans.

Marr dropped her jaw when the two blades split the sturdy rock into three melting parts "Strong but useless here; one be quick to survive and the high roller takes lot of time to reeload. A Radeel no wait for me to reeload, no?"

"I am _sooo _gonna take it! That is if you don't mind of course." Yagtaal simply handed the weapon to her; she literally jumped out of happiness. "I am gonna call you Cassy!"

Marr scourged the duffle bag for more ammunition, the fans proved to be heavy so she took a dozen of them while hoarding all MC cells. In the process, she found a square mass of white and black plastic "What do we have here?"

"Hollow-tap, this thing will swallow any sound around it and play it again. Your people sometime amze me." She pressed the button to hear the following:

_I-is it on? Good._

_The boss was quite a bitch last week, I mean I would risk my ass in rounding up some kids and junkies for the 'Alexander the greatest' and when four of those fuckin brats didn't make it alive to the slave auction in Tear's well she discounted half of my caps for 'improper management to the merchandise'… well fuck you Marzia!_

_Guess you are gonna be 'mind blown' when you open your purple safe in the morning to find some booby traps instead of MY caps! I am heading for Whitepass valley, to start all over again as some Merc. I am sure Zeil would be offering somethin' to the table._

_Bitch!_

"Well that was entertaining." Marr stated, Yagtaal on the other hands was a bit grim "Thee shalt harmeth the innocent, Thee shalt drink thou poison."

"Wait, what?" she raised an eyebrow; that was probably the old _old _world's tongue "Ramses Abraham taught me whil…never mind." He walked away gulping the secret he was about to expose. Marr knew her boundaries this time and so she respected his desire to keep whoever was Ramses Abraham to himself.

. . .

After five more days, they had finally reached their swampy destination Jack's Marshes. Yagtaal mentioned that the area was originally a 'water park' whatever that was but due to the fallout chain of events it became a vast treacherous marches filled with insane amount of harmful radiation or as he described it 'dark souls of vengeance'

The duo wore dull green clothes made reinforced Radeel hide mixed with some strange gel. Breathing was a near impossible task due to the volatile toxins in the air. Unlike Marr, Yagtaal knew to navigate in these lands in the shortest span of time; many lost their lives in this dire place and yet the Jack's marshes were perhaps the savior of the tribes because it almost isolated them from the world outside.

Like all things, jack's Marches came to an end… a relieving one to be precise. White ice manifested on the road ahead "This be it, the brick village of the Gannons is up ahead. They be friend. They no follow the people of the sun or Aleksandal… they be follow…_apocalypse."_

"Thanks for everything Yagtaal, I wouldn't have survived alone…can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Can you stay with me… just for tonight?" she tripped in her own words like a blind oaf. Yagtaal was confused as well "Why? Me lead you to safety, you no need me now."

"I know ... it is just…it is better to travel in daylight right?"

"Hmmm, me guess so…Come, there be small deserted metal tent on your right."

. . .

_**Well? Not too shabby no? Well whether, you reviewed or not I am quite enjoying writing it...i have many ideas for weapons, factions, NPCs and these tiny bits and pieces :3**_

_**Gonna sleep now *crosses finger to find something when I wake up***_

_**Good night/morning people of the earth :D**_


	4. The chase Pt1

**A/N: A holler to our fellow author and the beta of this chapter M.A Cunningham!**

. . .

Alan Cole woke up with quite a racket from outside. Instinctively, he grabbed his bowie knife and his fully loaded Maz-28 bolt-action sniper rifle then he stormed out of his room. It was a good thing to sleep in a room on top of an old tower; Fresh air, great view and a perfect spot for sniping.

"What are ya waiting for, Rad brain? Shoot the ghoulies NOW!" Boulder yelled from below while showering the Incinerated with bullets. Cole silently prayed to Mother Maria before drilling .308 bullets in the ghouls' craniums.

Others below him were fighting as well but he knew for damn sure that they weren't going to die from some ghouls on fire... after all, they are the Sons of Sheol .Another bullet went through a charging ghoul just before it could bite a member's head off. She gave him thumbs up before engaging more of the abominations.

It wasn't long until their camp was littered with dead ghouls. Cole (still in his underwear) descended from the tower to his old friend Boulder, who was basically the biggest, baddest, toughest son of a bitch he had ever met. "What's the matter buddy? You only killed twelve – no, eleven Incinerated! Are you on chems again?"

"I just... don't like ghouls…," the larger fellow admitted.

A woman of fifty may be sixty years with some black old Business outfit bashed the door in front of the duo. "How the HELL did those washed up fucks get into MY camp?!"

Everyone ducked and covered from the old woman's wrath, except for Cole and Boulder. "I was sleeping... so… I dunno," Cole said causally.

Boulder on the other hand, didn't excel in wits at all. "Sorry, lady boss, Josie. Muhhh we...urr... I woke up, ate sandwich, and went out...then ghouls everywhere!"

"Ugh! I am surrounded BY A BUNCH OF TEAT SUCKERS. …JUST SHUT UP!" She took out her sawn-off shotgun and blew out of the limbless ghoul. "Limper! For the last time, aim at the fucking head!" The old lady looked for the little brat, who somehow snuck up behind her.

"Sorry, Granny! I couldn't resist the temptation!"

Sometimes, Cole regretted making a fifteen year old girl a fully pledged member in his little family of assassins but her repair skills are beyond anyone's in the camp; she could disassemble and reassemble just about anything if given the right tools. Besides, her freakish weapon-suit thingy of hers shoots deadly circular saws at an insane speed...quite 'handy' sometimes.

Josie sighed inwardly regaining her calmness "Clean up this mess, I don't want customers to smell their god awful stench."

. . .

Two days passed since the ghoul incident. Limper later on found a breach in the main gate terminal. The Sons of Sheol had made enemies over the decades but none actually dared to lead a front assault on their HQ. They got connections with the main three weapon suppliers across the frozen wasteland:

The _They-Go-Boom!_ Family in the Ash Cloud City, a bunch of unstable psychotic nut jobs who somehow scavenged an untouched storage bunker whose location was yet to be known. Then there were _The Gun Runners_, one of the oldest cats out there, although much of their branches stood as scavenged by the mighty Alexander, or abandoned in the Tunneler's awakening two centuries back. Finally, there was Hawks, who owned a massive prewar factory far north from here.

It must've been the Brotherhood of Alphomega.

A 'secret' assassination organization that would kill just about anyone or anything for the right caps. Unlike the sons of Sheol who also accepted assassinations that would help cleanse the land, for reasonable prices of course, of raiders and other gangs dotted across the wasteland. Sure, they would accept personal hits but scarcely. The brotherhood, however, were deeply involved in politics around two of the three main superpowers: The Authority, and Alexander the Bright. This could be the first contact between the two assassination parties.

Cole was in his room, shaving his light beard; he never liked 'em thick and grizzly. He inspected himself in the mirror. He was the average Caucasian with bluish eyes, fairly white skin, and short black hair, almost bald. Diagonally, across his last cheek lied a painful long scar of betrayal while above his right eyebrow had a bullet scar from another sinister betrayal. He washed his face onto his wardrobe and donned his old man's duster... or more like his grandfather's duster. It provided warmth although his grandfather wore it in Texas as a Ranger.

Shortly afterward, he wandered off a little bit in the camp's courtyard until Josie, his boss, called him into her office...alone. Normally, when this happened she would either assign him a "clear out" mission, which was quite easy as long he was afar or...or he'd get one of those "special" missions.

The "special" missions generally are of high risk, but the reward is too big to decline. Anyway, he entered the office only to find a once-black, half-burnt woman dressed in one of those dirty, old-world outfits. "Well, well, if it isn't Marzia... the infamous slaver of the wasteland..."

"Stick your cocky attitude up in your ass Alan!" The woman was in obvious pain the moment she moved her burnt muscles. Josie on the other hand fixed her glares on Cole to shut up. He was surprised that she remembered him… or maybe it was just his reputation.

"Our client wants you to track down and kill Luis Leo, a former employee of hers who went greedy and took all of her caps. He is probably on his way to the Whitepass Valley. You need to kill him before that...unless you are brave enough, or dumb enough to take a chase him through Jack's Marshes… ," Josie explained. She knew that the contract required more than one but her guts told her otherwise. She trusted Cole to do the job just like his father.

"We aren't exactly a charity over here. Thirty percent of caps and we call it a deal." Aside from being a sharpshooter, he grasped some of the art of bartering as well.

"What? My business is DEMOLISHED! You actually expect me to hand over a third that easy!"

"Then good luck with finding someone to do it for you...I am pretty sure the that Brotherhood of Alphomega will open-"

"FINE! But you better pull through. Oh," she said, handing him four incendiary bombs, "and use this. I want the sad fuck to burn to hell like I did."

. . .

The trip was quite tiresome, would have been easier if summer melted some of that ice off. He went south through the long eastern Railbelt – an old train track which is surprisingly unscathed by the weather and such but long as with little to no place to resupply. His first stop was in Gannons City. A city of good folks called the Followers of the Apocalypse. They trade with caravans with their medical supplies and their best grown crops around the wasteland. Too bad this attracted the wrong sort of crowd... Alexander.

A squadron of fifty to seventy Lochos, or soldiers, in phalanx formation with fifteen Hypaspist, or sharpshooters, aided them from behind, and finally the captain, or Lochosgos, was in the center giving orders. His sun mask easily identified him, with its golden rays branching out and the other fact that he was riding a _Griffin_.

Cole couldn't believe his eyes. Three years ago was when he first saw one. That creature was one of Alexander's mutant abominations created from the enslaved scientists who used to see the old world… that's the roaming rumor at least. With them and his near flawless strategies, Alexander swallowed a good portion of what was left in the west after the Tunneler's outbreak two hundred years from now. Still The Authority and other minor factions did their best to stop his plague-like advance. Lately, he sent small skirmishes like this to sharpen the metal of his slaves and men.

It was obvious that the mercenaries of the Followers were losing this fight fast; Alexander's brilliant tactics relied heavily on his phalanx formation, aside from being deadly in close combats and impermeable to bullets and other projectiles, was so effective in eliminating the mercenaries. Cole had some encounters with the Lochos before, his explosive rounds made only a small dent in the awfully large and rounded sun shield. The front lines were equipped with an array of modified long phalanxes. In this battle, they wielded proton-tipped phalanxes, which would cut through metal like butter.

Cole hadn't been spotted yet. He crouched on a small ridge a safe distance away and took a closer look through his scope. He held his breath, aimed his rifle, and took his shot. The bullet missed the Lochosgos' head by few millimeters, only to hit the horse-eagle creature in its feathery neck. It wasn't enough to kill it but it sure sent the creature into frenzy; it mindlessly charged forward, breaking the sturdy formation before flying off into the town. The captain fell off his stead before it took flight, breaking his neck with a loud snap as he hit the ground.

Disorganized and leaderless, the remaining soldiers fled the scene, an odd thing for Alexander's Lochos whom would offer his or her life for Alexander. Cole gave no pity whilst picking them off. Ironically, A caravan was already on the way to the town and intercepted the battle between Alexander's Lochos and the Follower's mercenaries. The guards of the caravan quickly drew their weapons and started shooting them with no mercy.

"FOR JOLLY YOU BASTARDS," one of the guards screeched whilst emptying his light machine gun into the crowd of fleeing Lochos. Shot after shot the combined forces of Cole, the caravan guards and mercenaries brought down the fleeing Lochos. 'The people of the sun' killed, enslaved and raped thousands of lives so it was a great feeling knowing they all suffered a butchering. It was a proud day indeed for all who opposed Alexander and his Lochos.

When the dust settled, Cole entered the battle-weary town. He was greeted by a plethora of moans of pain. Followers and caravans littered the ground, slashes across their bodies, some hung dead as their limbs remained caught on pieces of roofing, and one body had his head splattered on the ground. Alan Cole kept walking until a body fell from the sky and landed in a loud thud in front of him. 'What the hell,' he thought. 'How did this guy fall from the sky…' Suddenly, he heard the barrage of gunshots and screams deeper in the city.

"Someone help! The Griffin," a doctor mucked in blood yelled, running towards Cole.

Cole had to interfere "Where is it?"

"It's in the corn farms on your right. Help! Hurry!"

The moment the doctor finished, he befell being grabbed, and carried toward the sun in a flurry of feathers as Cole was knocked down by how fast it all happened. Cole got up and tried to see where the man went when he heard the loud thud to his right. As he turned to see the fallen body, he was lunged feet away to a solid wall.

The Griffin screeched and charged but Cole rolled over in the last possible second. He fired a shot from his sniper through its chest before embracing five claws in his chest; the body armor beneath his duster did practicality nothing to stop such impact. In a moment of halve, he drew his bowie knife and struck it in the beast's right eye. The Griffin twirled in pain with the knife stuck in its eye socket, giving the man moments that could save his life.

He barely stood up; looking for any weapon of sort to fend him, and a phalanx was the one. Cole thrust the phalanx and gouged the Griffon's neck while its beak sank into his left shoulder, sprouting a gush of blood in all directions. The griffon fell dead, clamping down on Cole's shoulder harder. It took Cole a lot to pry the beak open, opening the wound to more bleeding.

"Not like this..." Alan Cole muttered, the injuries and blood loss sent in a world of darkness.

. . .

Cole flickered to adjust with the bright light. He fully opened his eyes to find a ginger haired doctor smiling at him. "You seriously thought you would die in a _town full of doctors_?"

"I... thanks, doc," he replied with gratitude. "How about the others?"

"I am afraid most of our mercenaries are dead...it happened so fast you know, and it wasn't the first time. They are getting bolder every time, with this rate...I…" She sadly admitted, but she quickly changed the subject, "But thanks to you, more will live for another day and I now have a specimen to dissect. I am Doctor Agatha Goldman by the way, the head of doctors, and the town in general."

"Cole, Alan Cole. A sniper for the Sons of Sheol," he shook her hands. "If I may, I have some questions for you."

"Sure, shoot."

"A man called Luis Leo may have passed here with some guards, probably with large sum of caps... so any information about him?"

The ginger woman thought thoroughly before her answer. "I remember Ol' Whiskey the Bartender told me about a traveler who found a party of six maybe, seven men dead near Jack's Marshes last Monday. You might talk to him in the morning."

"I understand, thanks for the help."

. . .


	5. New in town

_** . . .**_

Marr had one her best memories yesterday. It happened so quickly; she and Yagtaal were ideally chatting in the shack one moment and the next one she removed his face wrap and kissed him. She felt utterly wrong while doing so but she couldn't extinguish her passion so easily. Yagtaal on the other side didn't stop her either as if he wanted it as well; he didn't stop her when she removed his face warp which hided a painful memory from the past… _the sun sign._

A 'trademark' of all of Alexander's slave. a branding that is with the insignia of the sun so they could be easily tracked down. So far, he didn't encounter a slaver across the wasteland but it was better safe than sorrow.

His mind urged him to stop... to think of his future mate Mistrea but once again he failed to do so. Marr didn't leave his mind the moment he found her stark naked in the ice. It was perhaps fortunate to be in a relatively isolated place lest the fauna would be attracted to the odd source of pleasurable moans. In the morning however, guilt plagued his mind fiercely, he wanted to get as far away as he could from the devious woman stark naked next to him. And so he left with the first glimpses of morning… perhaps he would meet her in another place, in another time.

The scarlet woman was fumed for being dumped like that without even a note but later on the guilt possessed her as well. She got all dressed up and after a short meal of Ba'at's cooked meat; she headed out to the Gannons town. Marr could see the town from miles away from the sloping high grounds beneath her feet. The distance however, proved to be alluring than what she thought; half a day she spent walking downward till the copper sunset rays shined on the rusty metal walls of the town.

"You're one of them savages? Just a sec," a slender guard mistook her for a tribeswoman from her clothes. Sure, he was rude but he meant no harm by it, shorty the small gate opened and a bald black haired man in a dirty lab coat welcomed her _**"Massul! Aom t-"**_

"I can speak English…" Marr unintentionally burst his bubble. "Oh, i… Well, Benny thought you are from those of GreenIce fields. We haven't met one in months! Doctor Richard Wales at your service."

"Marr nine- just call me Marr."

"Quite an odd name, but hey, anything suits I think. Your first visit to Gannons Town I suppose?" Marr nodded, the man became more excited than before "Ricky will be thrilled! Ricky!" he called out a kid barely beyond a decade old, he had a strange eye patch with an insignia of a two headed bald eagle on it "We have a new comer! Wanna give this handsom-"

"This way lady!" The youngster took Marr by her hand. He was indeed so excited. He took a really long breath before talking "This is Gannons town! Town of docs and scientists! We help people with medicine and crops! You can ask Ol whiskey in the Gauss motel about history and stuff but for now let's go for a tour!"

Though Marr was a little bit tired, she could not just say nay to the enthusiastic child. Firstly, they walked towards a market of sort with stands all over the place. "This is Arcade's square, all trades and stuff happens here! Wait till morning and the place will be packed with caravans and our best crops which is this way!"

A large field probably taking the a third of the town was dedicated to fields of corn and wheat. Again, the sugar high like kid yanked her to another place "Here, we have the residential area. Pa and I live just about here!" he pointed to a small metal shack among many others. The 'tour' had ended when Ricky showed last area which had one big lab surrounded by smaller tents with a red cross on them. "Well, that's it! See ya soon!" the one eyed boy quickly left as he appeared. Marr felt like she wasted a good portion of her time and yet she felt good for spreading cheers of sort in the kid.

It wasn't too long till she found the Gauss motel. Inside, the place was brimmed with aromas of spirits which oddly rumbled her half-filled stomach; it felt more like a bar nonetheless. There was a small crowd cheering for two players of a card game.

"Never got the hang of it." a grungy voice almost spooked her out, she turned out to find a really old man beyond eighties at least, and he had a big white grizzly beard. His wrinkled face shrouded further under his large black cowboy hat. His black Caravaneer outfit was rather light in such cold weather. "The Caravan card game I mean; lost a heap caps back in the day, the name is Maxwell but most folks call me Ol' Whiskey." He gulped a cup of whiskey "now, how can I help to you?"

"i…. I am lost. I took a kick in the head three days ago, some… savage found me and guided me here. My name is all I remember." She wouldn't just tell a random stranger about her story which might threw troubles at her later on. Luckily, the old man's intoxicated mind found little difference between truth and lies " Well, that explain a lot. I mean I don't see a redhead dame dressed in tribe's clothes every day. The name again?"

"Oh um, Marr."

"Oookay, _Marr."_ Again, he drank another round (though he was the bartender) whilst handing her a cup "on the house, come on … it has like five Rad or somethin' "boldly, she drank it in one go. It was nothing compared to the tribe's bitter drink though.

"That's it good girl, just like Ol' Whiskey." He let out a heartily laugh. "Now, what do you need to know about the frozen paradise?"

"I remember after the bombs, radiations, and ghouls that sort of stuff… other than that…blank."

"Ohhh boy, where to start…" he rubbed his forehead in distraught. He poured another cup and started talking "things started to stir up oh two hundred years in the past after the second battle of hoover dam…"

"where is i-"

"Now, now. If you kept yapping in every sentence we will stay here till dawn! Questions later" Marr nodded allowing him to continue "near a city called new Vegas in some of them deserts in the west, two superpowers watered the wasteland with blood over years of hostility. The NCR or new California republic and a tyrant called Caesar and his legion. The NCR won in that day barely. The founder of this town and his wife fought together in the battle and killed a butcher called legate Lanius, Caesar's right hand man. Three years later, Shit hits the fans when millions of black mutated creatures called the Tunnelers from a place called the divide. Over the years, they swallowed the west and little America… there were no better option for any sane person except travelling to the east."

Marr allowed him to pause for a second then he continued "They bred fast and could easily swarm a fully grown death claw and slay it in a matter of moments. Wasn't much of a surprise when NCR and Caesar's legion broke after decades of fighting. Expeditions of both remnants put aside their old hatred and share the common instinct of survival in the Unification treaty back a century and a half ago. The great expedition marched hundreds of miles towards east…and there it was Alaska… the last fuckin haven mostly untouched by radiation but most importantly it's completely devoid of Tunnelers."

"What's with these people of the sun?" her question disturbed the old timer. "Some people say he is the Caesar and Lanius combined… a devil in disguise. I think the other way around." He took the bottle and gulped what was left "you see the authority, The ruling assholes of Alaska, had to leave hundreds of women and children and pretty much anyone dispensable when they were carving their way to Alaska because they simply ran out of supplies. The sick and the wounded were left behind to stall the Tunnelers just a little bit."

The loser of the caravan game sat next to Marr with his ego up in the skies. He hadn't noticed her so far "Hey sugar, want some quality time?"

"You better take your shot and leave before you lose more than just caps…" Marr didn't even have the chance to say anything when Ol 'whiskey interfered. The intoxicated man growled in frustration and took off.

"Drunk men are dangerous men my dear, expect me of course!" he laughed merrily, she let out a smile as well. The motel started to quieted a bit as the drunk started to either go outside or to their chambers. "We're closin' now Whis!" a chubby blonde haired woman of her late forties yelled with her southern accent.

"Looks like the fairy tale will have to wait till tomorrow, eh? Would you like to stay here for the night?"

Marr cheerily replied "Sure! that's very kind of you."

"Don't mention it." his smile showed his golden tooth in the upper jaw. "Hey, Beth! Show her where to sleep."

"Sure thing, Whiskey, right this way dear." Marr followed the lady with the bubblegum upstairs. All the rooms were closed except one "Used to belong to a sweet red head mercenary but the poor little thing got sliced by **Ass**ander 's forces two weeks ago."

"Oh, tha-"

"Ol' Whiskey might be a man of good company, but I ain't. That old sack of bones forgot that I run the show over here… sooo after this night, you are out. Come back again with caps and you are welcome, understand?" her altitude changed in a snap. Marr blinked in bewilderment and absorbed what the southern lady said "S-sure."

"Good, good… nightie night, honey. Oh and try to wear something more… civilized. The idea of having savages in my motel is not appeasing, sugar." Marr nervously smiled and closed the door behind her. The room was quite dusty. Cobwebs started to conquer the corners while the chilling wind from outside slowly seeped through the cracked of the windows creating a wail of squeaks amongst the old wooden furniture and yet Marr was okay with that. She … she finally felt the cozy feeling of being at home. The master bed quickly drew her mind into a deep sleep. In her dreams, she uncovered something of …_ value._

. . .

Citizens of Gannons town slowly awoke from their slumber to resume their daily routine. The gauss motel was quite busy that day. Ol 'whiskey found the red broad of the day before in leather armor, probably belonged to poor Trish. However, before his greeting, Marr stood on the counter and attracted everyone's attention "two days ago, I found a duffle bag full of caps in jack's marshes. If-"

"_Piss off!"_

"_Go n bother someone else!" _ Her half drunken audience wasn't as enthusiastic as herself. She felt soo stupid when she didn't take the mother lode with her back then. She was more concerned about surviving rather than getting rich. Nevertheless, she was determined to acquire it one way or another. Marr turned her attention to Ol' whiskey "Do you know where I can find work?"

"Err… Lester can use another eye out there. He is the lonely ghoul up in the eastern watchtower; can't miss him really."

"Thanks!" Marr gave him a soft kiss on his wrinkly cheek before bolting out of the motel. "Careful!" Marr didn't heed a word afterwards; her goal was to get enough caps so she can buy a radiation suit to get to her goal.

_Gotta earn some to get some._


End file.
